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Mano Singham from the CWRU department of physics finds himself
center stage for Tony Kushner's play, "Homebody/Kabul," which
opened September 13, 2002, for its Midwest premiere at the Dobama
Theater, 1846 Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. The play continues
through October 6, 2002.
"Homebody/Kabul" was completed by Kushner, the Pulitzer Prize-winning
playwright of "Angels in America: Millennium Approaches" before
September 11, 2001. The play explores the culture of Afghanistan
under the Taliban.
According to Joyce Casey, Dobama's artistic director, the play
"couldn't be more in the moment in this climate of distrust and
fear."
"This play takes place in Afghanistan in 1998 and is a fascinating
and very revealing look at the conditions that led to the present
situation," Singham said.
The play called for half a cast of English-speaking characters
and the other half from Central Asia. Casey asked Catherine Albers,
CWRU professor of theater arts, to help her find actors for the
play. Albers told her about Singham, whose hometown is Colombo,
Sri Lanka, and said he might be able to find people from his part
of the world to audition.
Never having performed on stage before, he was curious about
what it would be like to audition for a play.
"I read for fun," he said.
Singham added that he was "surprised" to find himself chosen
alongside a professional cast that includes Geoffrey Hoffman (CWRU,
M.F.A. Theater).
Singham had to regrow a beard that he shaved off in 1993 to look
more like someone living under the Taliban rule.
The physicist makes his first appearance on stage as an English-speaking
doctor in the second scene of Act I and has some 20 lines to say.
He reappears in the third scene of Act III as Marabout, a mystic.
Is he nervous? "I'm thinking it must be like teaching. You have
to stand before a class of students and talk," Singham said.
As to whether this is the beginning of his road to Broadway,
Singham has no comment, but he talked about his fascination with
how the actors have come together as a group and moved into the
roles of their characters during rehearsals.
"This play has been a wonderful opportunity to do something I
have never done before," Singham said. For information about "Homebody/Kabul,"
call 932-3396 during regular business hours.
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